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World’s largest cargo aircraft Antonov An-225 lands in India

The world’s largest cargo aircraft arrived in India early morning on Friday.

The Antonov An-225 Mriya made its first landing in India at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.

The wide body aircraft is powered by six turbofan engines and is the longest and heaviest airplane ever built, with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tonnes.

It also has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service. Specially built to undertake transcontinental route airlifting load between 180-230 tonnes, the aircraft arrived in Hyderabad from Turkmenistan.

The development comes close on the heels of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence signing a strategic pact last month with ANtonic Company of Ukraine for the assembly, manufacture, and maintenance and repair of is platforms in India, both for the commercial and the military market.

India is said to require over 200 medium lift turbofan aircraft valued at Rs 35,000 crore, which is the backbone of all tactical transport support of the air force, army and para-military forces.